msb

My condolences , Paul. I just turned 72 , and seem to see more and more friends with various health issues. Many considerably younger than me. 
There’s more to this getting older than we were led to believe.

24 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

As i got older i wished i had found a better teacher to take me further into the theory. Not that i needed it for what i was doing but more from a learning point of view. Its been one of my life regrets that i didn't take lessons further but when a teacher says he can't teach me anymore after 18mths you tend to think that's it i know it all ............ and then yrs go by and you realise the guy was a numpty.

I have considered going back even at 63 yrs old but youtube and social media can offer you so much these days.

Dave

I too did it the hard way. And that’s why I recommend a good teacher. 

I like the modular approach , and doing continuous upgrades as you go.

(and when opportunity arises)

Rigs are built up over time. I’ve bought and sold , and generally upgraded as I went. Picked up various amps and cabs to cover various needs. If I see a good local deal I might snap it up. I don’t have any allegiance to one company or product. There is a ton of great gear out there! 
 

I’m always looking.

Being self taught is the long hard way to do it.
 

It’s amazing what a good teacher can do.

Camera bags come in all sizes and shapes.

Welcome , John!  
 

I try and keep a little cash stash handy in case of musical emergencies. And there have been times that I’ve been very happy to have that handy.

Nobody expected it to have a flat back. It was a bit of a shock for them. So none of the various Cavern Bass reissues have been accurate.

Agreed !

I’ve had to deal with several shifty bandleaders , and decided it was not worth the aggravation. 

In my 30’s I got tired of the local circuit. Cheap hotels , road food , and spending all of my time in a band vehicle became wearisome. So I decided that I’d sleep in my own bed and just take gigs in town. On my terms. And have a life.

And was much happier. 
Now I’m not a big star , but I’m happy being a simple working class musician. 

I use a tube preamp in my gig rig , it’s got a natural warmth , but I don’t look for distortion. And I use a modelling amp for practice. I tend to try and get warm , and deep , but not distorted.

It was a flat back.

If you’re getting jerked around , get out. 

They’ve always changed things around. 

I think of my Bergantino Forte as being hifi. The tone stack has almost surgical control. It’s full frequency , very clean , and carries some serious slam.  It’s an amp that has authority. I have the earlier version that has a compressor rather than a drive. Before that I had been running a GenzBenz Streamliner. A very different amp. Warm and dark. Also with some serious slam. 

So I wind up getting a good tube preamp and use the effect return channel… but I can switch back to modern hifi in seconds. 

I’m hoping you’ll enjoy yourself here. 
I immediately read that introductory post twice. 

An old friend was living in Toronto , when he first heard Jerry Jones was making boutique Danelectros he immediately hopped on his bike and drove to Nashville.
Bought one.

He eventually sold it and has been kicking himself ever since. Jones retired , closed the shop , sold his tools. Danos by design were cheap instruments , a handmade boutique copy is pretty ironic. But I have to admit the Jones instruments that I’ve checked out were wonderful things.

Along with the Longhorn I’ve got these two classic Japanese surf basses.

My first gig amp was a hundred watt Marshall , sold it about forty years ago.

I’d kinda like to try another one now. 

Super Bowl Sunday , the old dive was dead. We were snowed out last Sunday but most of the cleanup has been done. We’re getting another Nor’Easter Tuesday night. More snow.

winter fun … 

I had a little GK MB200 head. I didn’t realize the fan had become gunked up and stopped working. The power module and a couple of other things became overheated , and fried. It was an expensive repair.

Now I find it quite reassuring when I hear a fan kick in.

Twenty five used to be the magic number for vintage , although some restricted it to Pre-CBS or Norlan. 
 

My Korean re-issue Dano Longhorn has become vintage. 

I’ll generally help people getting their stuff in and out , and if several do it’s quick and easy. But it’s easy to get miffed if you’re the only one helping out … 

I’m a big fan of modern lightweight cabs. And that’s a beauty.

I use Bergs and appreciate the size , weight , and ease of moving them around. I’m just a blue collar musician , I pack the car , drive it downtown , set it up , play , and then take it all home. No crew , just me. 
 

Smile every time I put one in the car.

12 hours ago, Mediocre Polymath said:

Hah, just a roundabout way of saying "my dad's bass". Both he and the bass are still going strong. He even still gigs with it, despite it being about the most uncomfortable and awkward bass ever made. Can't deny it looks cool though.

I like short scales , and would love to find a nice EB-3 sometime. I’m fine with the shape and ergonomics. I have an SG , but they’re not the same thing.